Macron sparks Polish-French war of words

WARSAW — Critical comments about Poland by Emmanuel Macron, the favorite to be next president of France, prompted a furious reaction from Warsaw on Friday — further souring already tense relations between the two countries.

Macron on Thursday told French regional newspapers that he would pursue tougher action against Poland and other rule-breaking EU countries such as Hungary if he becomes president, also attacking their economic policies which are seen as a threat to French business.

During the interview, Macron pounded his fist on the table and warned, “In the three months after my election, there are decisions that will be taken on Poland … One can’t have a country which plays its fiscal and social cards in the heart of the European Union and which is in violation of all its principles.”

He added that “sanctions will be taken over the lack of respect for the rights and values of the European Union.”

Poland is under fire from the EU over government attempts to weaken the country’s top constitutional court, something for which Warsaw could theoretically lose its voting rights as an EU member. Hungary was pilloried by Brussels this week over a new higher education law seen as an attack on a university financed by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros. Both countries have been criticized for refusing to take any asylum seekers since the 2015 migration crisis.

Macron made his comments after a visit to a French Whirlpool dryer factory, which turned into an attack on companies moving production to cheaper parts of the EU.

The reaction from Warsaw was swift and sharp.

“I understand that an election campaign has its own rhetoric, but there have to be some boundaries in voicing your opinion,” Witold Waszczykowski, Poland’s foreign minister, told the wPolityce web portal. “That comment violates European standards and the principles of friendship with Poland.”

Konrad Szymański, the deputy foreign minister in charge of European affairs, called Macron’s critical comments “pure populism which undermines one of the key areas of European integration which is the common market.”

“Until now Emmanuel Macron has condemned Marine Le Pen as an evil person who undermines European unity,” Szymański told Polish radio, adding that Macron’s comment “shows that in this concrete area, it’s difficult to find a difference between Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron.”

France is one of the leading EU countries trying to tighten rules on cheaper workers competing with better-paid rivals in Western Europe. Unions and some Western European countries call it “social dumping,” while Central Europeans feel it’s an anti-competitive effort to undercut one of their main economic advantages.

The issue is keenly felt in the trucking industry, where France is pushing for a crackdown on the ability of shipping companies from doing extra pickups and drop-offs while on foreign trips — called cabotage. Polish and Romanian trucking companies have used cheaper labor costs and lower social security taxes to become a growing threat to truckers in France, Germany and other wealthier parts of the EU.

Friction over labor rights and economic competitiveness are just part of a broader downturn in the relationship between France and Poland. In the past, Poland’s most important EU relationship was with Germany, and the country set great store in the “Weimar triangle,” a regular gathering of Polish, German and French leaders.

But the right-wing Law and Justice party government initially wanted to build its foreign policy around ties with U.K., a policy in tatters after the Brexit vote.

Poland, which isn’t a member of the euro, has also been sidelined as a member of the club of the largest EU countries. A March mini-summit held under French guidance in Versailles drew Germany, Italy and Spain to discuss the shape of the EU after Brexit. Poland wasn’t invited.

France was incensed when Poland last year unexpectedly dropped a €3.2 billion contract to equip its military with multipurpose helicopters from Airbus. François Hollande, the French president, scrapped a trip to Warsaw, and the issue has since turned into a political scandal in Poland, as the Polish Defense Ministry hasn’t clearly explained why the contract was rejected.

Hollande also warned Poland during Warsaw’s failed effort in March to block Donald Tusk, the former Polish prime minister, from a second term as European Council president, pointing out that it was one of the EU’s largest recipients of structural funds.

“Am I supposed to take seriously the blackmail of a president who has a 4 percent approval rating and who soon won’t be president?” shot back a furious Beata Szydło, Poland’s prime minister.

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den

Nothing like a row to get the electorate rallying around you and voting. It works every time.

Posted on 4/28/17 | 6:08 PM CET

alan

That’s the true spirit of unity…

Posted on 4/28/17 | 6:10 PM CET

Apocalypse

Another step towards the break up of the EU

Posted on 4/28/17 | 9:52 PM CET

Pol

Double standards, double standards… when France fails to attract investment, it wants to limit free trade in the EU, and attack Poland politically to damage investor confidence in Poland.

$crew the EU and the so called Franco-German racket… solidarity only on issues they want, when they need it.

Posted on 4/28/17 | 10:34 PM CET

croc

One can’t have a country which plays its fiscal and social cards in the heart of the European Union and which is in violation of all its principles……..is this not a perfect example of what fake news is or to say in normal language misleading others with the aim of gaining some benefit for yourself. I read his statement but cannot understand. Is poland not allowed to play its own fiscal and social cards? And saying poland is in violation of ALL principles sounds like wife saying to husband – you have never loved me – only because he forgot to buy flowers for their 23rd wedding anniversary.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 12:37 AM CET

Ludic

@pol

Yes. Today you understand better what it is.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 1:44 AM CET

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Posted on 4/29/17 | 2:11 AM CET

ab

Even Le Pen starts to look like a moderate and reasonable candidate in comparison with populist and nonsense Macron. What a disaster for France is this election.
But let’s not loose hope. After Macron’s presidency there is a big chance chance for a presidency that Houellebecq has predicted in his “Soumission” and everything will be settled and get to order under completely new set of rules so dear to European leftards.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 2:15 AM CET

peregrine

Who is this Macron guy, an investment banker and “an independent reformer” implanted by his puppets masters. Macron just coincidentally happens to share his values with this elite.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 6:27 AM CET

Franco

Is Macron still an employee of Rothschild (France)?

Posted on 4/29/17 | 7:11 AM CET

Kurious

RE: “Critical comments about Poland by Emmanuel Macron, the favorite to be next president of France, prompted a furious reaction from Warsaw”
First, the comments by Macaron weren’t merely “critical,” but highly Polonophobic. He basically communicated the fact a Whirpool factory was to be moved from France into Poland was Poland’s vicious deed and evidence of Poland’s acting against “European values.” And he vowed to carry out a vendetta with the help of the EU.
Second, the Polish government’s reaction to those comments has NOT been “furious” at the least, but admirably calm and matter-of-fact.
The author, Cienski, obviously strongly adverse towards the Polish government and PiS (and indeed Poland), seems to have misrepresented the facts once again.
Now the Polish diaspora in France will do a very silly thing if they vote for the Polonophobe (and fool) that Monsieur Macaron obviously is.
As I understand, numerous French businesses have gone out of France into Vietnam, China, and the like. Has Monsieur Macaron ever slammed Vietnam, China, etc. the way he has Poland?
I highly doubt he has even mildly. Or that he’s got enough courage for slamming those non-European states.
Finally, in Poland there are numerous French supermarkets. Some Poles have complained those put out of work native Polish ones. If the worst comes to the worst, if the French continue to hate-monger against Poland, the Polish government should consider kicking those supermarkets out of the country.
Last year the Polish government did such a thing by refusing to purchase French military helicopters. Contrary to what Cienski alleges, the Poles revealed why they were doing that: they’d decided the French helicopters were antiquated junk. And went for American super-helicopters instead.
To sum up: it’s untrue that Macaron’s remarks are just innocent criticism; in reality, they seem Polonophobic and slanderous.
Also, Cienski’s allegation the Polish government’s reaction to those remarks has been “furious” is untrue. In reality, the reaction has been calm and matter-of-fact.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 11:50 AM CET

Kurious

@ peregrine

RE: “Who is this Macron guy…”

He is another HOLLAND in disguise.

If I were French, I’d rather vote for Le Pen than him.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 11:59 AM CET

Spelling bee winner

These French polishers get everywhere , their still dum.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 4:28 PM CET

Anton

Ah, the French and their French Revolution: French on French Genocide. Silly buggers!

Posted on 4/29/17 | 4:44 PM CET

Polisseuses françaises

CLRS

On this issue I lean on the French side. The polish goverment has shown itself to be incompetent, antidwmocratic and uncooperative time and time again. They must face consequences for their actions. Only building ties with the U.S. and UK wont get you far in Europe. In fact such an approach beckons the question on whether they’re in the right union after all.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 6:18 PM CET

ab

@CLRS
You made my day !
First look at France – a country with constantly extended state of emergency, where innocent citizens, policeman are murdered on the streets, from which Jews are escaping because of growing antisemitism, where there are riots because of racial discrimination (like Chinese community recent ones) – before writing nonsense about some other countries you seem to know nothing about, especially the ones for which basic citizens rights including safety are a top priority.

Posted on 4/29/17 | 8:58 PM CET

EU schpelling dept.

@Spelling bee winner

Dum >> Dumb

Posted on 4/30/17 | 1:30 AM CET

European

Emmanuel Macron is the person who will rescue Europe. Poland is invited to leave the European Union if it doesn’t like it and get again Russian soldiers on its soil. You simply cannot have your cake and eat it. To rescue Poland from Germany and Russia we had World War 2. It’s simply not gonna happen again. Time for the Poles to learn how to stand on their feet of they want to be “independent” and stop begging for EU money. Very simple and straight forward. Vive Macron, vive la République, vive la France!

Posted on 4/30/17 | 4:45 AM CET

Kurious

@ European
Re: “Emmanuel Macron is the person who will rescue Europe.”
I’m afraid it’s the other way around: if he becomes the French prez, he will help finish off Europe completely. His attitude towards Poland seems to be the harbinger of this.
RE: ” Poland is invited to leave the European Union if it doesn’t like it and get again Russian soldiers on its soil.”
Invited by who? Who on earth would encourage Poland to get Russian soldiers back on its soil?
RE: ” You simply cannot have your cake and eat it.”
And why do you communicate this? Is it in relation to anything Poland does? What specifically would that be?
RE: “To rescue Poland from Germany and Russia we had World War 2.”
Who are those “we” who allegedly had WW2 “to rescue Poland”? It’s you and who else? Who specifically are you? And did you really fight for and rescue Poland from Germany and Russia? When and how?
RE: “It’s simply not gonna happen again.”
I sincerely hope so too. As the “help” given to Poland in WW2 cost the country millions of killed, vast destruction of property, and cruel oppression by the Russkies for almost 50 years.
It’s time now for those like you to be treated like we were. I sincerely hope the Third World crowds you take in pay you back for what you did to us. 🙂
RE: “Time for the Poles to learn how to stand on their feet of they want to be “independent” and stop begging for EU money.”
Prove Poles can’t stand on their feet. Prove Poles beg for EU money. Give pertinent facts. Can you?

WHAT specifically are you accusing Poland and Poles of doing wrong?
Do you know?
🙂

Posted on 4/30/17 | 5:29 AM CET

Spelling bee winner

@Eu schpelling dept
Glad to see irony doesn’t pass you bye .

Posted on 4/30/17 | 8:30 AM CET

Deviant detector

@European
He will be far to busy fiddling with his cougars archaic lady parts .

Posted on 4/30/17 | 8:40 AM CET

tuciu

@Pol: Double standards, double standards… when polish government breaks its won rule-of-law standards and calls it its souvereign right it cannot credibly criticise french president for excercising his souvereign right to cancel the economical part of the european deal as well. Either you are part of EU and stick to its standards or you don’t and loose membership benefits as well. You cannot eat the cake and have it at the same time. The choice is yours. Let us know soon, preferably till the german general election. That’s when the european train will start rolling faster. It might be too late or too expensive for you to get in it past this date.

Posted on 5/1/17 | 1:34 AM CET

Kurious

@ tuciu
You say that “polish government breaks its won rule-of-law standards [sic]”

Do you mean the Polish government breaks some law? Which specific law would that be and how specifically would the Polish government break the law? Give specific facts please proving it’s true.

Further you say: “Either you are part of EU and stick to its standards…”

Do you mean the Polish government isn’t part of EU and doesn’t stick to the EU standards? If yes, how specifically the Polish government isn’t part of the EU and which specific EU standards it doesn’t stick to, and how? Give pertinent facts, please, proving what you allege is true.

Posted on 5/1/17 | 2:45 AM CET

Dee

As I have said before the EU is a corrupt extortion racket, looks like they are gearing up to destroy the Balkan economies the way they destroyed the Southern countries. There is only ever one winner, Germany, used to be France as a close runner up, but Germany wow wants it all, hence the meddling in the French Election, the elections of other EU countries and the terrible threats made against the UK to scare us into submission, they thought they had frightened us enough to vote to remain, but the UK is Germany’s nemesis and will never bow to down to their orders.

Posted on 5/1/17 | 11:14 AM CET

Kurious

@ Dee
You’re dead right the EU seems like an extortion racket.
But I don’t see much evidence it’s German greed that’s behind it. In fact, I don’t see much profit for Germany in keeping such a wasteful and oppressive entity alive.
And Germany itself seems to be decaying rapidly. Look at their immigration policy and practice. It seems to be their kaput. Which is in fact the whole Europe’s kaput. Not just the EU’s.
I also think the UK has done an extremely bad & self-destructive thing by leaving the EU. You should’ve stayed and fought for its reform. It’s in your own vital interest. Britain always acted like this in the past. Yet this time, for some, ahem, mysterious reason, Britain has done the very opposite of what it should have done. I’m afraid it’s fatal for Britain and Europe, and that those who will profit from this fatality aren’t Europeans.

Posted on 5/1/17 | 12:24 PM CET

Katherine

@European: Yes, the EU should kick Poland and Hungary out and continue to promote good relations with Erdogan.

Posted on 5/2/17 | 12:02 AM CET

Andrzej

The idea of social dumping is unfair. Every country has some advantages and some disadvantages. Poland suffers from a brain drain. Physicians trained at the taxpayers’ cost emigrant to UK or Norway.

Posted on 5/7/17 | 3:20 PM CET

Andrzej

@European
It does not make sense to say “If Poland wants this or that.”. Who is Poland? The current govt? I do not accept it. It is a fascist govt subservient to the catholic church and to an oligarch. We have manifest our hate against this regime several times, as reporter in this journal. 80% Polish people want Poland to say in the EU, more than in any other EU country.